Chapter 3
Chapter Three
Bennett
I shouldn’t be surprised that Lottie put me to work for her wedding reception.
After all, she drunk-married Brooks in Vegas, tried to get an annulment, and somehow ended up being the last one to figure out she was in love with him.
That’s my big sister for you—chaotic, messy, but always lands on her feet.
“Calm down, it’s just plants and flowers,” she says, perched on a kitchen stool at my parents’ house while Kami, her hairdresser, curls her hair.
“There’s a method to planting that you don’t seem—”
“I told you, B, I just want to look at the garden every day and know it was planted by people who love us and were wishing us the best of luck on our big day.”
“If we want to get technical, on your big day, you were smashed on tequila shots, and your memory is blurred at best.”
She glares at me through the mirror. “I’m okay if everything isn’t all perfectly uniform like you prefer it. Your garden can be flawless when you finally build your house on the property.” Her brows lift in challenge. She’s always calling me out on my shit.
I groan because ever since Lottie and Brooks decided to build their house on the family ranch, everyone’s been asking when I’m going to build on the lot next to theirs.
My dad even suggested we should build mine along with Lottie’s and maybe we’d save money.
The last thing I want to get into is that topic because that would mean having to address that I’m choosing to raise my daughter in a house with my cousin, Jensen, and his best friend, Nash.
“Anyway,” I continue, “the flowers I originally ordered didn’t come in, but I’ve been able to secure some different ones. Poppy is taking care of the pickup and will drop them off just before the guests are set to arrive. I’ll start with the plants until then.”
Her whole face lights up. “I know I’m being a pain in the ass, but I’m so excited for everyone to plant whatever they choose. It doesn’t matter how it turns out.”
I shake my head and sigh.
She catches my hand before I can leave. “Thanks, B. I promise I’ll pay you back.”
“You paid it forward. I owe you, but I’m not sure why you have to be such a pain in my ass about it.”
Her eyes get glossy, and her lips pull into a smile. “I’m already an emotional mess. Don’t make me cry now that my makeup’s done.”
I squeeze her hand in return. And I mean it.
Lottie and the rest of my family have been there for me more than I could ever repay them.
When I came back to the ranch, I didn’t expect that months later I’d have a newborn daughter and a dead wife.
I didn’t have the luxury of pride. I had to lean on the people I love.
I’ve never been good at that, but I was left with no choice.
“You wouldn’t be you if you weren’t annoyed about something,” she teases.
I pause at the front door. “Live my life for a day and get back to me.”
I open the door and leave, escaping my sister and her new love glow.
The door clicks shut, and I stand for a minute, her words ringing in my mind.
Am I always annoyed? I shake my head. Just when it comes to her absurd ideas about guests who have no knowledge about planting and letting them loose in her garden.
She’ll be lucky if half the plants don’t die.
I jog down the steps as Wren’s laugh echoes across the field. My mom’s chasing her.
“Wren!” she scolds, holding the delicate flower crown Wren’s supposed to be wearing today.
Wren circles me, dodging my reaching arms, and darts behind my legs as though I’m her personal fortress.
“What are you doing?” I ask, swiveling to catch her, but she spins away with every move I make.
Mom stops, hands on her hips, exasperated but smiling. “You little wildflower.”
Wren giggles, and somehow, I’m able to get my hands on her and scoop her up, spinning her around while she squeals. Her laughter is infectious even to my mom, who is definitely low on patience today.
“Why were you running?” I ask, setting her down.
“I was sitting in that chair forever.” She groans, and her eyes roll back, her body wiggling as if she’s made of Jell-O.
“The price of being a girl,” Mom says, finally placing the crown of flowers with ribbons on Wren’s head. “You said you wanted to get all dressed up.”
Wren looks up at me with blue eyes that match her mother’s. “It’s so boring. You just sit there, and you can’t move.”
“It’s called being pampered,” Mom says, pinning the hairpiece in place. “I could use a day of pampering. Your aunt has me running all over this ranch to make today the best day ever.”
My eyebrows raise. “You complaining?”
She playfully rolls her eyes but smiles. “Never. I love weddings. Especially when it’s one of my own.” Her gaze flicks to me and lingers a second too long.
“Daddy, what was your wedding to Mommy like?” Wren asks.
My mom’s smile tightens because she assumes I don’t want to be reminded of my biggest loss.
“Not like Aunt Lottie’s, that’s for sure.” I crouch, meeting Wren’s eyes.
She’s seen our wedding album, and I’ve told her all the same stories about the day I married Kristie.
What a beautiful bride she made and how perfect that day was.
And maybe it was beautiful, in some ways.
But I left a lot out because… well, I’ll always leave it out.
Kristie will always deserve to be on a pedestal for Wren, so I’m not going to tell her the full truth. Not ever.
“Have you seen Poppy anywhere?” I didn’t want to worry Lottie, but Poppy should have been here already with the flowers.
“Not yet. Want me to call her?” my mom asks.
I shake my head. “She’ll be here soon. Want to help me?” I ask Wren.
“Daddy, I’m the flower girl. I have to show up with Aunt Lottie.” Just then, Brooks’s truck rolls into the driveway. Wren jumps in the air and propels herself toward him. “Brooks!”
Mom loops her arm through mine as we follow. Brooks steps out wearing a casual suit and lifts Wren with ease, setting her on his hip.
“It’s good to see her happy,” Mom says quietly. “Are you… happy?”
I glance at her, surprised by her hesitation. My mom doesn’t usually tiptoe around hard questions. “Yeah, Mom, stop worrying about me.”
I watch from a distance as Lottie walks out of my parents’ house in a dress most people wouldn’t think of as wedding attire but fits her style and what she and Brooks are trying to accomplish today—just to celebrate their love.
My mom pauses, and Brooks lowers Wren to the ground, his gaze unable to stray from Lottie.
Mom squeezes my arm, and her quick inhale says we shouldn’t be watching their intimate moment.
Wren shouldn’t be either, it should be shared between them, but I can’t blame her.
Even I can’t take my eyes away from them.
Their love grew so deep so fast, it spurs a memory from years ago that I swallow back, just like every time it surfaces.
Brooks breaks the distance, opens his arms, and Lottie walks right into them as though she never belonged anywhere else.
“To think how long she fought that.” Mom lays her head on my shoulder with a sigh. “That kind of love doesn’t come around for everyone.”
She doesn’t look me in the eye but rather walks away toward the house.
I admire the couple for a second longer than I should. Shame crawls up my spine like a spider because I had a love like that a long time ago.
Then I turn and head toward the planters because there’s no sense in thinking about things that can never be.
A half hour later, I’m annoyed and snapping at my three cousins who are giving me shit as they’re each planting the plant they picked out.
“Six inches,” I say to Jude.
“I won’t plant it at all if you keep watching over me like I’m a child using a knife for the first time.” Jude glances at Ben, and they both roll their eyes.
“I know you think I just play with dirt all day, but there’s actually a reason I do things the way I do.”
“Here?” Jude asks, stabbing the soil right next to the one my dad planted five minutes ago.
“Yes, but… ugh. Just give it to me.” I take the shovel.
That’s when I finally spot some of the workers from The Perfect Petal unloading the flowers, while Lottie trails behind them, moving toward the raised garden beds.
“Oh, not there!” I leave my cousins to do what they want with one garden, rushing over to the flowers being put out.
“Hey, it’s okay, I’m not picky,” Lottie tells me because she doesn’t understand how this can all be ruined.
“If we don’t plant them right, some won’t make it. I told you to let them pick the plants, and I would plant each one. Or someone from The Perfect Petal could handle it.”
Lottie laughs and squeezes my arm. “That’s no fun. I want it to be their way of planting something for our future. Every time I look at this garden, I’ll remember this day.”
She keeps talking, but I’m not listening anymore.
Because my eyes catch on a brunette figure near the flower carts.
My heart seizes. My breath stutters. My stomach sinks.
It can’t be her. There’s no way. I knew her parents had moved back—ran into her mom at the library one day during story time for Wren—but no one told me she was back.
“Delaney?” I say, my voice raw.
She looks up and draws back when she sees me. “Hi, Bennett,” she says calmly.
Too calmly. As if she’s had time to prepare. As if she’s had time to brace herself, while all I can think about is how much more beautiful she looks than the last time I saw her seven years ago.